The Hemlock Cup

By: Bettany Hughes

Narrated by: Bettany Hughes

'Terrific and passionate writing about a philosopher whose heroism is unquestionable . . . and as lively and learned an introduction to classical Athens as you could want' - Daily Telegraph

In The Hemlock Cup, award-winning historian Bettany Hughes brings to vivid life one of the most influential thinkers the world has ever known: Socrates of Athens. A maverick philosopher who philosophised in squares and public arenas rather than the courts of kings, Socrates left his indelible mark on the entirety of Western civilisation - yet the life of the man himself is shrouded in mystery.

What would life have been like in the Athens of Socrates's youth? How did the Socratic method come to dominate the way we think and learn? And what can Socrates teach us about how we should live? Drawing on fresh evidence and the latest archaeological discoveries, Bettany Hughes finally gives Socrates the biography he deserves - and shows just how relevant he remains to this day.©2025 Bettany Hughes

How all subjects should be taught

This was such a vivid and memorable journey in my education. While, ironically, in a book, it hits hard because of the author’s real voice. I felt like I was a witness to history. Brava. Seriously.

Great read

While this story is ostensibly about Socrates, the color and detail about life in Athens was absolutely fascinating. Lots of interesting perspective that I have never heard about ancient life.

Much more than a biography of one man

Bettany Hughes gives us not just a biography of one man, but a complete world-building of the time of Athenian Democracy and Classical Greece. Through detailed accounts of people, places and events the reader is dropped right into the company of Socrates on the streets of 5th century BCE Athens. Hughes includes the lives of both famous and ordinary people, places well-known to history and those places that would have been well-known to Socrates, and events large and small that shaped both individual lives and the story of Western history. All of this plus the sights, smells, sounds of the time - everything needed to deliver more than just a biography of a man, or another retelling of the roots of Western philosophy - are included in this fascinating book. If one is looking to travel back in time to the world that created Socrates and influenced so much of the way we think now, then “The Hemlock Cup” by Bettany Hughes is the place to start the trip.